Official: O2 and Carphone Warehouse to slash 8GB iPhone price

Carphone Warehouse and O2 have announced that they will each knock £100 off the price of Apple's 8GB iPhone tomorrow, as predicted earlier today. Already own an iPhone? If you bought it from CW in the last 30 days, the company will give you £100 worth of gift vouchers, it said. There's no comparable offer from O2, which also …

[Ash]

UNLIMITED ACCESS

Words can't express the hostility I feel when I hear those words.

No VoIP

No use as a modem for a laptop or other computer

No going over 2GB a month.

I might just mail one page of a Collins dictionary to their legal department. Guess which letter section it'll be from.

[Chad H.]

@ ash

perhaps you should replace the dictionary with "fact checking for dummies".

2gb data? Where did you pull that from, there's no mention of that on the o2 website, in fact the terms and conditions specificly unlimited, not unlimited*, not fair usage applies, just unlimited. Full stop. In fact the no hidden limits on their plans is something o2 pride themselves in (as long as the usage is caused by human interaction, not by a script or automatic dialer or similar, its allowed.

[jon]

3G iPhone?

Based on the info, I predict a 3G iPhone (with version 2.0 software) on 1 June 2008!! and the 8Gb is retired.

This promotion is to get rid of stock prior to well predicted launch.

[Repo]

@Ash

You can send L for lying and I'll send B for bastards?

[Ed]

2GB?

You can be pretty sure that you'd hear about it if the 'unlimited' was really 2GB. I've not heard of anyone being disconnected or charged for going over any limit - in the UK, US or the rest of Europe...

[Nicholas Moore]

@Chad

Whilst it does seem you're right about the data limit - there doesn't seem to be one - it does surprise me to find this: "You may not use your ... iPhone to allow the continuous streaming of any audio / video content"

So iPhones can't use (or should I say, aren't supposed to use) YouTube? That's a surprise.

[Tag]

"Unlimited*"

In their defense, O2 is I think one of the few operators that allow truly 'unlimited' broadband (provided you're not using your phone as a modem through a laptop etc).

However, for other operators/ISPs etc, the whole "unlimited" (Fair Usage applies) fiasco really makes me mad, too. I don't understand how they're allowed to hide away the fact it is nowhere near unlimited in the T&C's? - Does anyone know why Ofcom etc allow it?

[nacnud]

O2 wi-fi policy - no streaming video or VoIP

Data and Wi-Fi excessive usage policy

Your O2 tariff for iPhone allows you unlimited use of O2 UK's EDGE/GPRS networks and The Cloud's UK Wireless LAN network, for personal internet use, email and Visual Voicemail (VVM) on your iPhone only. All usage must be for your private, personal and non-commercial purposes. You may not use your SIM Card in any other device, or use your SIM Card or iPhone to allow the continuous streaming of any audio/video content, enable Voice over Internet (VoIP) P2P or file sharing or use them in such a way that adversely impacts the service to other customers of O2 or The Cloud. If O2 reasonably suspect you are not acting in accordance with this policy O2 reserves the right to impose further charges or disconnect your tariff at any time, having attempted to contact you first.

[Steve]

no CONTINUOUS streaming

Note that it says no CONTINUOUS video/audio streaming, not none whatsoever. They basically mean you can't use your iPhone as a TV or radio that is just constantly playing streaming audio/video. As far as I'm concerned that clause does not restrict the likes of YouTube.

[Matt Kemp]

iPhone usage

It's unlimited access to the EDGE network and The Cloud's wifi spots.

If I remember correctly, the contract also specifies you can't use it for IM or streaming media - You can't legally stream iTunes music store or Youtube over it, and the BBC iPlayer website specifically mentions that 2.5G isn't fast enough for streaming their programs. They're meant for use over wifi - If I remember correctly, americans even have access to technology now which allows them to order from starbucks over their iPhone to save them having to actually communicate with people (ironic, given the medium).

Interesting idea about a 3G iphone in June - I'd be interested to see if apple/O2 will be offering trade-ins on older models, though I doubt it.

[Anonymous Coward]

unlimited?

only '3' appears to understand the needs of the mobile data user.

they have no problems taking VoIP data...and if your unfortunate to think that skype is voip then at least your skype data is a freebie! (doesnt count to overall useage)

i've said it once, i'll say it again, iPhone is only serious when its got 3G ability. iPhone is only serious when it lets you do some of the stuff on non-Wifi links. and its only a serious purchase on those expensive monthly contracts if the phone comes free!

until then, N95. and maybe N96 later this year if iPhone2.0 turns out to be a minor cosmetic crappy upgrade on same stupid limitations

[Chris Gibson]

@ Anonymous Coward

Stating "i've said it once, i'll say it again" doesn't really count for much when you don't put your name against your posts.

I agree with you about the 3G issues, the iPhone will clearly be a better handset with a 3G connection. However, I'm amazed at how many people on this website -- surely primarily aimed at IT professionals? -- object to the cost of an iPhone. Are you really saying that the iPhone isn't a "serious purchase" unless it's free?

For what it's worth, I've "said it once and I'll say it again": if you're on a tight budget, the iPhone probably isn't the right handset for you. In fact, I've just checked the O2 website, and they'll charge you £99 for an N95 on an 18 month £35 p/m contract anyway. So why recommend the N95 over the iPhone? Does that extra £70 really make all the difference?

[Bruce Robinson]

Buy 1 now or buy 2 later?

This price drop is surely a shelf clearing exercise and I'm waiting for iPhone II.

I moved to a short term contract with Orange just for this situation. The iphone 1 was never going to make a real long term tool. Apple were just using it to test the water.

Now they should know what the punter want and I’ll be ready to shelve Orange and their appalling service as soon as the iphone 2 is released, subject to improved functionality, a reasonable price and decent contract conditions. Maybe on the same terms as Oz or China (Ha, Ha).

If these improvements don’t happen, then its a Samsung or SE for me and many others I’m sure. (..and Apple will have lost the chance to clean up in the phone war; the competition will not give them another chance to get it right. They will be shafted and rightly so.)

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmm...

Would be nice if CPW would update their website - it's still showing £269...

[James O'Brien]

Whats a title?????

"Contracts start at £35 a month for 600 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited internet access during that period."

Whats the period? Till the end of the month (30 days) when the moon is full?

*SIGHS* Reg you should provide us with relevant facts.

/mines the one with Anti-BS on the back.

[Niall]

2GB you'd be lucky

O2 Ireland don't mention unlimited because it is in fact limited to 1GB with a 2c per MB charge in excess. I'd love to see the figures for iPhones in Ireland, the deals compared to everywhere else are a total rip off.

[Dominic Bradbury]

iMoan

As someone who sold their original iPhone unlocked and for a profit on ebay, the £100 price-cut suddenly makes a re-buy an interesting proposition. At that price I can justify it as a 'Friday' phone and use my W890i (Fab) the rest of the time.

Let's face it, Apple/CW/O2 will probably slash the price of the 3G iPhone in 6 months so I may just bide my time until then. Then I'll unlock my re-bought iPhone and shove it on ebay.

I think there'll always be a market for good condition unlocked iPhones regardless of whether they are 3G or not.

Now, where's my nearest CW?

[Andy]

Apple confirms no price cut from them

A Beeb blogger, Rory Cellan-Jones states that the price at the Apple store will stay the same.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/04/iphone_price_cut_weakness_or_s.html

However, they won't confirm whether they are cutting the price it charges O2

[Anonymous Coward]

Jailbreak time

If you don't have a pressing need for 3G then this is a good buy!

Pop into an O2 store, buy it, take it home and jailbreak it and use it with your existing SIM.

O2 contract sign up is done via itunes and not in store so you're not signing up to any contract!

[Anonymous Coward]

Value in a way

The 8GB ipod touch still retails at £199 and even online I can't find it cheaper than £169.

So buy the 8GB iphone crack it and at least you'll have a MP3 player/browser etc.

[RIch]

And what are these higher end practical reasons?

Makes the tea? Drives you home after impressing your friends in the pub?

It doesn't do blackberry sync, but only blackberries do.

And FW2.0 supposedly does MSX active sync.

I use gmail on it which is fine.

The phone sound quality is good

The battery life is acceptable

The Ipod is, well, an Ipod

Videos are pretty good.

The web browser is better than any other mobiles I've played with.

The camera is sh1te and unless you jailbreak them they are pretty poor in terms of applications. If you do they are pretty good.

And if I need to impress down the pub its not my phone I get out...

[Mark Barton]

Extra £100 - get the phone for £69

Go through Quidco to get an additional £100 off.

Which makes the iPhone £69.

http://www.quidco.com/o2

[Anonymous Coward]

re: Rich

"And if I need to impress down the pub its not my phone I get out..."

No, it's your wallet, to get the drinks in.

*wink*

[Anonymous Coward]

BB Connect

"It doesn't do blackberry sync, but only blackberries do."

Bzzt, SonyEricsson smartphones have been doing it for years.

[jai]

re: Whats a title?????

the unlimited data access period probably is per month, yes. but seeing as you pay them 35quid each month, then you get unlimited data each month too

at least, in the 5 months i've had my iphone with o2, i've used it for tons of data access and i keep checking and every bill there's never any charge for data useage

[Anonymous Coward]

You must have agreed to be spammed to get the £100

I got this from Carphone Warehouse;

"In regards to this offer being offered relating to the Iphone there are

the following terms and conditions.

- You must have purchased your Iphone at the higher price on or after

the 17th March

- *** You must have provided permission for Direct Marketing and other

information to be sent to you*** at the time when you purchased your

Iphone." (My emphasis)

As I see it then, if you said no to being spammed when you activated, you're not getting your pennies.